Total pages in book: 51
Estimated words: 48271 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 241(@200wpm)___ 193(@250wpm)___ 161(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 48271 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 241(@200wpm)___ 193(@250wpm)___ 161(@300wpm)
“Maybe it takes time?” he says, trying to stay optimistic for my sake. “Maybe we’ll feel differently tomorrow?”
We both know that’s not going to happen, but I play along anyway, offering him a sad smile. “Yeah, maybe.”
Despite my best effort, there is no hope in my voice because there is none left in my heart. My disappointment is immeasurable.
Gunnar wraps a gentle arm around my shoulders. “Come on, let’s head home before Ryland and Paw realize we’re gone.”
Dejected, I follow him down the mountain.
Gunnar remains by my side the entire walk home, unaware that the wetness sliding down my cheeks is from my broken heart and not the steady rain.
My mind and heart struggle to accept that a legend I wanted to believe in so desperately is nothing more than a myth. A magic that simply never existed.
A devastating truth I now must face.
*
As Ellie became lost in her grief, she never considered that some magic happens over time, especially one as powerful as love. She also had no idea that Gunnar felt something immeasurable that night, something that would later change his perception of true love and its existence.
Ellie
Sixteen Years Later
The afternoon sun warms my skin as I walk down Main Street, heading toward the only mechanic shop in town. One that just so happens to be owned by my very best friend.
My hands are full of takeout from Gunnar’s favorite restaurant and the flower arrangement I made just for him. I changed things up this time, using mostly greens and avoiding any pink, hoping he will find it a little less girly.
Every month I make an arrangement for his shop, much to his dismay, but he puts up with it because he knows I love to do it and it’s free advertising for me. Not that I need it since I own the only flower shop in Passion Falls, perks to living in a small town. Still, it’s nice to have my creations be seen elsewhere.
It’s also a good reminder for all the men who walk in there to treat their loved ones from time to time because a thoughtful gesture can go a long way. Even a single flower can brighten someone’s day. It sure brightens mine, which is why I love what I do. A dream that would have taken much longer to happen if not for the money Paw left me.
Now, let’s hope all of this will brighten Gunnar’s day and butter him up for the bombshell I am about to drop. Though, I am not sure anything can prepare him for what I am about to say.
How do you tell your best friend of seventeen years that you have decided to have a baby by artificial insemination, and then ask if he would like to be the sperm donor?
God, it sounds crazy even in my head. Not the baby part because that is the one thing I am certain about. I have always wanted to be a mother, and I have always wanted a big family, something I never had growing up.
As much as I loved life with Paw, it could get lonely at times, and if I’m being honest, it’s still lonely, especially with Paw being gone. He was the only family I had and I miss him dearly.
Sure, I have the flower shop and my friends to keep me busy, but it’s not the same, especially when it’s time to go home to an empty house.
I always thought I would be married by now and have the white picket fence, but my dating life has been pretty much nonexistent. Actually, it’s downright pathetic. Being a virgin at twenty-four years old proves it.
Unfortunately, the pick of men in Passion Falls has always been slim. The good ones are either already taken or I’m too good of friends with them to cross that line. I suppose asking Gunnar to be the father of my child could technically be crossing a line, but it’s not like I’m asking him to have sex with me for heaven’s sake.
Though I’ll be honest and say the thought has crossed my mind a time or two, just so I could say I am not a virgin anymore, but I quickly decided against it. I’m not willing to risk our friendship. Sex complicates things. At least, I think it does. Guess I can’t be sure since I’ve never done it before, but I’m assuming it would …
In the end, it doesn’t matter because I have decided I do not need to be in a relationship to have a baby. There are other options available. One specifically that I have been exploring for the last several months and there is an opportunity this Friday to start the process. I just need to see if Gunnar is willing to be the donor or if it will be a complete stranger.